What is the difference between a divine appointment, a movie ‘meet-cute’, or just simply serendipity? In biblical terms, a divine appointment is when God sets the stage for a meeting that changes everything, and Jemimah Wright says maybe we should pray for more of them.
This morning I was distracted by a video on TikTok, which has now gone viral with seven million views in which American Megan Baxter, who lives in London, shares her story. Understandably distraught by the Californian fires consuming her home town of Pasadena, Megan decided to book an Airbnb in rural Sussex to get away for the weekend. Apparently the place she booked was so rural, that the host offered her son to pick Megan up from the train station as there were no taxis. He happened to be handsome, single and her age. What followed was a Hallmark worthy weekend romance, and they are now a couple.
Was that a divine appointment, or a movie ‘meet-cute’, or just simply serendipitous?
Was that a divine appointment, or a movie ‘meet-cute’, or just simply serendipitous? In biblical terms, a divine appointment is when God sets the stage for a meeting that changes everything.
READ MORE: Is believing for a husband the same as the prosperity gospel?
One of the clearest examples is in Acts 8:26-40. Philip was minding his own business, when an angel of the Lord said: “Go south to the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza.” There he meets an Ethiopian eunuch, a high-ranking official reading Isaiah in his chariot. The man’s heart is open, hungry for understanding, and Philip seizes the moment to share the good news of Jesus. The eunuch believes, gets baptised, and carries the gospel back to Ethiopia. It’s a beautiful collision of timing, obedience, and God’s perfect plan. That’s a divine appointment - God aligning people and places for his purpose.
READ MORE: Actor Rebel Wilson had a vision that changed her future – was it divine intervention?
Then there’s Joseph, whose life reads like a rollercoaster of divine setups. Thrown into a well by his jealous brothers, he could have died there, abandoned and forgotten. But God had other plans. Rescued by traders, he was sold to Potiphar in Egypt (Genesis 37). Later, after prison and interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, he rose to become second-in-command of the nation (Genesis 41). Potiphar’s house, the prison—were stepping stones to saving his family and fulfilling God’s promise.
Sceptics might shrug and say it’s all coincidence, but Jesus challenges that mind set in Matthew 9:29. Healing two blind men, He asks, “Do you believe I can do this?” They reply, “Yes, Lord,” and He says, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” Faith opens the door to God’s intervention. So, can we pray for a divine appointment to meet a husband? Why not! If God can arrange a desert-road encounter or turn a pit into a palace, he can surely orchestrate a love story. (I am not trying to give single Christian women false hope here, but reminding us that he is the God of the impossible). We don’t know if Megan prayed for romance in the countryside, but her TikTok tale is an encouragement that we can be surprised when we least expect it.
And it’s not just about romance. What about praying for divine appointments to share the gospel?
But divine appointments are not just about romance. What about praying for a divine appointment to share the gospel? I recently heard Scott McNamara from Jesus at the Door ministry talk about this. He believes God prepares people’s hearts to hear the good news, just like the Ethiopian eunuch. Scott’s seen countless lives changed because he’s asked God to lead him to those ready to listen—people whose hearts are open, even if they don’t know it yet. Imagine walking into a coffee shop, a park, or even an Airbnb, and God whispers, “That’s the one.” Like Philip, we step out in faith, and suddenly, a conversation becomes eternal.
READ MORE: Rosemary Conley; ‘My life was a total mess …I needed divine help’
So, whether it’s love or evangelism, divine appointments hinge on trust. Joseph didn’t see the bigger picture in the well; Megan didn’t book that Airbnb expecting a boyfriend; Philip didn’t know who he’d meet on that road. Yet God did. As Christian women, we can pray boldly for these moments, believing God’s timing is perfect. Maybe it’s a serendipitous meeting that leads to marriage, or a chance to share Jesus with a stranger. Either way, let him set up those divine appointments, then watch with faith as he weaves his beautiful story through our lives.
No comments yet